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Sunday, August 21, 2016

What I Learnt From Waiting 9 Hours In The Life Of Pablo Pop Up Sale Line

As my new found friends and I huddled together we not only shared our personal space but also the experience of watching the sun set over Bondi Beach.

Yes, as I stood in the Life Of Pablo pop up line, I watched my day literally turn to night.

Am I crazy? Possibly.

Did I know what I was getting myself into? Absolutely not.

Did I have an amazing time? Yes.

Am I going to give you my tips and tricks for how to tackle and successfully survive the Pablo line up? Double yes.

Let's take it back to the beginning.

My day started like a normal day. I was pondering my Facebook newsfeed procrastinating over whether I should do my washing. That's when I noticed the Yeezy AU Facebook update that the Life Of Pablo Store was popping up in Bondi.

Just kidding - it had already popped up.

Frantically I raced to get ready, said goodbye to my mum and dad and said that I would be back soon.

Oh how wrong I was.

I parked in a 30minute spot at Bondi out the front of the location of the pop up store.

The line looked okay. Maybe 30 people huddled around the entrance.

"Easy" I thought. "Piece of cake".

I parked, attempted to buy a parking ticket but failed and made my way to the line.

Only thing was, that wasn't the line.

I turned the corner preparing to jump straight in. That's when I noticed the line that climbed the entire street and disappeared around the next street corner.

"Holy shit" was all I could get out.

I joined the pack and was the last one in the line for 15 minutes. I had 2 really great guys in front who minded my spot as I proceeded to move my car from the 30 minute spot to the 2 hour spot.

Calling my boyfriend I told him "I think 2 hours is all I'll be here for".

Little did I know.

The comrades who had camped overnight or had been there since 5am that morning proceeded to pass us with their new purchases offering them to us for $10 more than what they paid.

We laughed them off. Little did we know that they would be the ones laughing.

3 toilet breaks, numerous squats to warm up my legs and 4 parking ticket purchases later, my new found line up family made it in through the Yeezy doors.

Was Yeezy there? No.

Did I get greeted with champagne and congratulated on my efforts? No.

Was most of the stuff already sold out? Yes.

But my ego was full & I was so glad for the experience.

My first parking ticket started at 11:45am. My last ended at 8:45pm when I finally climbed back into my car with all my new goodies.

The worst part? We nearly didn't make the cut. Only 75 more people were allowed in. I was number 68. People who had been lining up for 4 hours had to now camp overnight.

So before you decide to attend the last day of the pop up or another one of Yeezys pop ups in the future, I suggest you take on board these 10 tips.

1. Never underestimate the dedication of the Yeezy lovers

I thought it would be a slight wait. I didn't know the dedication some of Yeezys fans would show. Especially those that camped over night or trekked it to Bondi in the early hours of the morning. My 2 hour wait expectation was blown away when I watched the sun begin to set.

2. Pack water & snacks

By the time it hit 7pm I had completely forgotten what it felt like to actually eat lunch. The thought of eating food seemed so foreign to me considering the last time I ate had been 9am that morning. On top of that I had no water & had to contend with a very over bearing sun. Luckily for me the guys in front did a water run and grabbed me a water too. Had it not been for them I probably would have died in the line.

3. Wear comfy shoes

God bless the girls in front that were dressed up to the T. By the time it had hit the 4 hour mark they had lost their shoes and were proceeding to stand bear foot. Thongs, ugh boots & sneakers = yes. High heeled shoes, boots or wedges = no.

4. Pack your entire life

The guys in front came prepared with a camper chair that they took turns in. But even that wasn't enough. Make sure to bring a comfy seat, something to read or even your laptop to pass the time. If you're not keen for getting rowdy with your new found family then you need another way to pass the time. I would even suggest bringing a bed, a portable ensuite and a television - it's not that hard is it?

5. Make friends

Even if you don't like talking to others, making friends in situations like this is important. Not only does it make the time go faster but if you're riding solo, it also means you have people to mind your spot for you in case you need to do 4 parking ticket & 3 toilet runs.

6. Airtasker is your new best friend

The girl in front of me didn't quite look like a Yeezy lover. But like we're taught as wee young infants - never judge a book by its cover. I was right in my judgement though, because 4 hours into the line she proceeded to tell us that she had been paid $100 to stand in the line for 4 hours by a lady on Airtasker that couldn't be bothered lining up. I couldn't believe it. Why hadn't I thought of that!

7. Never ever give up

Come 4:45pm I was ready to go. It had been 5 hours too long, the line was hardly moving and I contemplated selling my spot in the line for $200 and fleeing home. I didn't though. I stuck it out for another 4 hours and boy did it feel good when I finally made it into the store. There's nothing like dedication & discipline. Plus I didn't want to wound my ego and give up. It would be too much dignity lost if I had to walk away.

8. Public Transport Or Car Pooling Is The Only Way To Go

Had I known how much I would spend in parking tickets, petrol & tolls, I would have caught 2 trains and a bus and actually been okay with it or allowed myself to get carsick whilst carpooling with someone else. Before you think about driving in, definitely consider public transport. It means you don't have to fight for a good spot and you don't have to move your car every 2 hours for the fear of the rangers wrath. Plus you also don't have to sell your liver just to pay your parking tickets.

9. Be prepared for the questions & in your face cameras

Now I know how the zoo animals feel when we get all up in their grill, take 300 photos we'll never look at again and ask them questions that they definitely do not feel like answering. I literally think I featured in 100 snap chat stories, 300 photos and 10 blog and magazine filming. Plus I couldn't even keep track of the amount of people that would ask us "what is this line for" whilst walking or driving past. Like come on people!

10. Be decisive

This is super important especially if you are towards the end of the time. By the time you get in, you are competing with 9 other people that want the same shit as you. 1 person could be the difference between getting that white tee or not. Know what you want in the line, what sizes you want and what colours you want and once you're in head straight for the counter, grab someone and tell them exactly what is it you're looking for.

And there you have it.

So if you decide to head down to the Sydney or Melbourne pop up today or join the line in future pop ups, at least you know what you're getting yourself into & how you can survive the line!